Gustav rains a bit on New Orleans and the Republican National Convention stops and Google begins offering special services around it. Tropical Storm Fay sits on top of Central Florida for a week, causing major flooding and damage (the St. Johns was still rising as late as this afternoon) and nobody says boo. No national stories on FEMA arriving to the area, no statements from the President as to whether he will show up or not. Hell, our own Governor douchebag made a statement that he was going to have Florida rescue workers on hand to help out the poor Orleanians should they need it. The whole sports world was on edge as to whether or not the Saints will be able to open week 1 at their home field.
You know… Screw New Orleans. The only reason they are page 1 is because they are piss poor planners and cry federal assistance whenever a storm comes their way. Here in Florida every summer we stock up on supplies and we pay attention to the weather. We board windows when things look bad and we go buy generators. Rivers start to rise? We fill sand bags and protect our homes. I guess I should be happier that we don’t make news because we aren’t a bunch of lazy crybabies who can’t figure out that living between the ocean, a damned lake, and a river delta is a bad idea… but it just irks me.
On top of that we have another storm heading right to the same area which will definitely cause more flooding, more damage. Will the nation stop their day and wonder if the residents of the Florida east coast are going to make it okay? Probably not. I guess we aren’t the bastion of culture that the French Quarter is. What with all the urinating in the streets and stuff.
One Comment
There’s supposedly a new term being affixed to…well…exactly what you are feeling and expressing. Whateve your feeling towards New Orleans and what I like to call the “Raincheck” lifestyle….as long as it is disdain at its most inner core….You suffer from what I’ve heard on several networks and in New Orleans own “Times-Picayune” newspaper….
“KATRINA FATIGUE”
I live in New Orleans. I’ve evacuated twice. I have to admit…the affliction…both on the side of being a citizen reaping the benefits…and on your side seeing no difference from normal responsibility as a human in charge of your own world….is truly nauseating.
Here’s the kicker.
New Orleans should have protections afforded it by public funds…and in a way that is truly qualified as protection.
Because of a lack of ingenuity on the part of the true experts…the engineers whose job it is to appropriately, efficiently and ingeniously use YOUR money (tax dollars) to provide citizens the promise as stated….(levees are no different than guardrails on a mountain road, or cables that actually HOLD on the Golden Gate Bridge). When you screw that up, When you don’t provide on a promise….when you fail to protect…when protective design is your purpose for pay. Your vision, your daily to-do…
Something is wrong…and missing.
And thousands of people lost ALL.
And will always miss it.
You may sandbag in Florida…to protect your family photos and the life inside your home…and you bought those bags….depending on them….to provide sandy backup for you while ur gone.
Our bags didn’t hold…persay.
Somebody gave us a shitty bag.
ALL of us.
New Orleans and the people there? Yeah, we got some monetary gain out of it if you wanna call it that…but honestly…it was like GOLD to get that check for most in New Orleans…NEEDED in a HUGE way at the time it came.
And I want to say THANKS, man.
I hope people will start to agree with your take on things…and start to expect more of themselves and their city…like NOLA citizens, for instance…they could learn alot in these areas….
I appreciate all the help….but like you…for real, it’s time to buck up and carry on…stop holding hands…and move forward, folks. Stop looking around in shock and awe…and just wipe it up and move on.